Valve-unseating clip for tire-valves.



' L. FOWLER.

VALVE UNSEATING CLIP FOR TIRE VALVES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22. I917- Patented Sept. 11, 1917.

jnucnh c LLOYD TomwaPr LLOYD FOWLER, OF SOUTH BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT.

YALVE-UNSEATI NG CLIP FOR TIRE-VALVES.

Application filed June 22,1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LLOYD Fownna, a citizen of the United States, residing at South Britain, in the county of New Haven, State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Valve-Unseating Clip for Tire- -Valves; and I do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which. it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to a spring clip, and has for its object to provide a device of this character which embodies novel features of construction whereby it can be advantageously used for different purposes, such as for holding a tire valve open while folding an inner tube, as a paper clasp, clothes pin, OX bow pin, display hanger, or the like.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a spring clip of this character which can be inexpensively formed of sheet metal, which will securely grip and engage the object to which it is applied, which can be easily manipulated, and which will enable an inner tire tube to be completely collapsed, and tightly folded without the necessity of unscrewing the check valve from the tire valve casing, or without necessitating the services of a second person to hold the. caeck valve open while folding the tire.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fully appear as the description pro ceeds, the novel features thereof being pointcdout in the appended claims.

F or a full" understanding of the invention, reference to be had to the following description and "accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a plan view of the blank from which the'valve unseating clip constructed in accordance with the invention is formed.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the valve unseating clip.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through the same, showing the manner of applying the clip to a tire valve casing.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The clip proper is designed to be formed rom a rectangular blank A of sheet ma Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented 1ft, serial No. 176,334.

terial, r-aid blank being provided with lone" tudina slits l which entend i om or ends thereof and have a paralle ..ei each other and to the edges of the bl-h said slits being also substantially equiu tant from each other and from the ed s of the blank. The central or body portion of the blank is thus provided upon each si e thereof with an integral wing said win being formed with rearward exto ions which initially extend parallel to the body portion 2 of the blank, being separated therefrom by the slits 1. These win 3 project from opposite sides of the ooh, ortion 2 at opposite ends thereof, and after bending the said body portion 2 into the form. of an arch or bow, the wings 3 are folded rearwardly against the ends of the body portion, fitting closely against the same to provide gripplng jaws formed, of a double thickness of sheet material. 4 then extend rearwardly from the back the arched body portion 2 and form linger pieces which can be grasped when manipulating the clip. The ends of the arched body portion 2 form opposed spring jaws for gripping an object inserted. between the same, and it will be obvious that when applyii'lg the clip in position or removing it I therefrom, thesejaws can be spread apart by pressing the finger pieces 4 together and flexing the back of tl'ie'arched springstrip 2. The extensions 1: are preferably returned so that they serve not only as finger pieces for nnlnipulating the clip, but also as a means for hanging the clip from a suitable support. If preferred, however, the ends of the extensions or finger pieces l: might .be cut off. i

The gripping edges of the j a ws are shown as concaved so as to conform to the exterior curvature of a standard tire valve casing, thereby enabling them to engage the threads of the tire valve casing to hold the clip securely in position. The edges of the outer thicknesses or wings 3 may be returned around the concave edges of the jaws, as in dicated at 5, thereby holding the two thicl; nesses securely together, and also providing reinforced jaws for engagement with. the tire valve casing.

A stem 6 projects from theback of arched spring strip 2 and carries a small concave head or handle 7 which is adapted to enter the mouth of the tire valve casing and engage the inner valve element to unseat The extensions inner tire tube, and enables the without unscrewing and removing the inner valve element, or without the necessity of utilizing the services to hold the innervalve in an open positlon while folding the tube. This stem 6 is preferably detachably connected to the back of the arched spring strip 2, and for this purpose the rear end thereof may be provide with a head 8 which is' provided in the sides thereof with slits 9 adapted to engage and of a second person interlock with the contracted end of a keyhole slot 10 in the strip 2. This head 8 can be inserted into the enlarged end of the key-hole slot 10 and then moved laterally to bring the slits9 into engagement with the reduced end of the said key-hole slot, thereby locking the stem 6 and head 7 firmly in position although they can be removed by the reverse of the above operation. The sheet metal of the arched strip 2 may be provided at points adjacent the, key-hole slot 10 with slightly raised portions or corrugations 11 for assistance in holding the head.8 of the stem 6 at the reduced end of the key-hole slot 10, the said head 8 springing over-the raised portions 11 as itis 1n-.

or removed therefrom.

Whenthe -stem 6 and head 7 are in position, the clip can be readily applied to the exterior of a tire valve casing with the concave head 7 projecting into the mouth of the casing and engaging the inner valve element to unseat it and hold it in an open position, thereby enabling the inner tube to serted in position Copies of this patent may be eluding a bowedspring its ends in opposed bent laterally over obtained for five cents each,

Washington, D. G.

be completely collapsed and folded without difficulty. When the head 6 and stem 7 are removed or omitted, the clip can be used for many different purposes, such as a'paper clasp, clothes pin, ox bow .pin, display hanger, or the like.

Having thus described the inventiomwhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is Y LA clip of the character described instrip terminating at its ends in opposed jaws adapted to grip a tire valve casing or the like, integral wings folded over the jaws from the sides thereof to reinforce the same, and rearward extensions projecting from the wings and extending beyond the back of the bowed spring strip to provide finger pieces for'fi'exing the spring strip to move the jaws apart.

2. A clip of the character described, including a' bowed spring strip terminating at jaws adapted to grip a the like, integral wings the jaws from the sides thereof and having edge portions thereof returned around the gripping portions of the jaws, and-rearward extensions projecttire valve casing or ing from the wings and extending beyond the back of the bowed strip to provide opposed finger pieces strip tomove the jaws apart.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. v p

LLOYD FOWLER. Witnesses: ABBIE M. WILLIAMS, JULIA E. MITCHELL.

by addressing the "Commissioner 0t Patents;

for flexing the bowed 

